Twilight Watch

Twilight Watch (2003/2007) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield

This may be my favorite book as a whole, although other books have stronger single stories.

“We’re the ones who corrupt people,” the boss said bitterly. “Do you understand? We do it ourselves! Offer someone money once, twice . . . and the third time he asks you for it. And we complain— what is all this, and where did it come from?

It also has one of my favorite scenes:

The walls were covered with black-and-white photographs— at first I even took them for elements of the design. But then I realized that the blindingly beautiful young woman with white teeth, wearing a flying helmet, was my elderly lady.

“I bombed the Fritzes,” the lady said modestly as she sat down at a round table covered with a maroon velvet tablecloth with tassels. “Look, Kalinin himself presented me with that medal . . .”

Absolutely dumbfounded, I took a seat facing the former flyer.

I love how he worked that into the story.

Apparently, the roads outside Moscow and WV roads have a fair amount in common.

The road surface was brand-new— the road here used to be all potholes, with a few connecting stretches of highway. Now it was stretches of highway, occasionally interrupted by potholes.

There was a detailed analysis of the story of Gilles de Rais, Joan of Arc’s sword-bearer. Joan was a very weak Dark Other, “a witch of the seventh rank,” which, by the way, did not prevent her from performing deeds that were, for the most part, noble.

“Pace” is a simple spell, but it has to be used with great caution. Catch the cardiac muscle as well as the legs, and you’ll give yourself a heart attack.

Witezslav’s death still remains a mystery. No James Bond could have crept up on him without being noticed.”

“Who’s James Bond?” Zabulon inquired.

“That’s another myth,” Gesar laughed. “Contemporary mythology.

Published by Harper Paperbacks

Rating: 9/10

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